Delivery mechanism for printing-presses.



R. A. FREEMAN. DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES. APPLIQATIONFILED APR.20, 1908. RENEWED APR. 27, 1911.

1,01 1,046, Patented Dec.5,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: lN-VENTOR ATTORN EY R. FREEMAN. DELIVERY MECHANISM FORPRINTING PRESSES. APPLICATION FILED APR.20, 1 908. RENEWED APR. 27,1911.

1,011,046. r r PatentedDec.5,1911.

.3 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

' INMENTOR ATTORNEY I R. A. FREEMAN.

DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20, 190B. RENEWED A1IL27, 1911.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 I. ATEN FFTE RUFUS A. FREEMAN, OF FLUSI-IING, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOPRESS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

onnie.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1199111.

Application filed April 20, 1908, Serial No. 428,256. Renewed April 27,1911. Serial No. 623,643.

To all'whom itmay concern:

Be it known that 1, Bonus A. FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Flushing, Queens county, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Delivery Mechanism forPrinting-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to printing presses and more particularly topresses having a traveling impression cylinder, and to sheet deliverymechanism for such presses, although in certain of its aspects theinvention may be useful for other kinds of presses.

Objects of the invention are to provide for reliable delivery of thesheets at high speed; to provide for 'such delivery in connection with atraveling impression cylinder; to provide for reliably taking offthesheets from theimpression cylinder at the end of its path of traveland conveying same to the delivery mechanism; to provide rapid andpositive means for conveying the sheets successively at high speedthrough the de livery mechanism; to provide simple means for rapid andreliable delivery of the sheets from the said mechanism to the stack ortable; to provide for the rapid, reliable and efiicient handling anddelivery of sheets of various sizes and weights; to effect all theseobjects reliably so as to permit continuous running of the press at highspeeds; to provide for such a construction and arrangement of mechanismas will permit easy access to both the bed and the cylinder of thepress, for making ready, cleaning, adjusting, or other purposes. Theseand other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will inpart be set forth herein.

The invention consists in the novel parts, arrangements, combinationsand improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constitutlng a parthereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the

same serving in connection with the description herein to explain theprinciples of the invention.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan View of mechanism constructed inpart in accordance with the principles of the invention; Fig. 2 is acorresponding vertical section partly in elevation; and ltigs. 3 and 1are detail views, partly in section, showing cer tain mechanisms indifferent positions.

In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way ofexample, a printing press is shown having a printing couple consistingof a flat bed and an impression cylinder, the bed and the cylinder bothtraveling during the impression. The impression cylinder is indicated bythe reference numeral 1 and the bed by 2. It will be understood thatsuitable driving mechanism for the bed and cylinder, together withsuitable means for causing them to move in proper relation to eachother, and all other necessary parts of suitable and convenient formwill be provided. The same are not shown herein in detail, however, assuch details constitute no part of the present invention.

The cylinder 1 is shown provided with suitable grippers 4 for holdingthe sheet on the impression cylinder while it is passing through thepress. The said grippers are shown mounted in a longitudinal recess. 5in the impression cylinder. Suit-able devices for causing the grippersto open and close to receive and deliver the sheet may be provided,which may be of any convenient or approved form, and are shown herein ascomprising an arm 6 attached to the gripper shaft 7 and cams carried bythe frame of which the delivery cam is shown at 6 A printing press ofthis general description is adapted to print upon sheets at a high speedand it is therefore necessary to have therewith a delivery mechanismwhich can be relied upon to receive, convey and deliver the'shcets atthe required high speed and which will always take the sheet from thecylinder at the end of its path of travel so that there will be nodanger ofthe press becoming clogged with resulting damage to forms,soiling of the impression cylinder, and trouble and loss of timeincurred by stoppage of the press. A sheet delivery mechanism possessingthese features is pro vided by the present invention. The particularembodiment of such mechanism illustrated herewith comprises a series ofstripper fingers 8 which serve to transfer the sheet from the impressioncylinder to suitable devices for carrying the sheet to the stack.Theparticular form of such conveying devices employed in the illustratedem bodiment will be described hereinafter. The stripper fingers 8 aremounted independently of the impression cylinder, and in this embodimentare mounted on the receiving end of the delivery mechanism.. The partsare constructed and arranged so that as the impression cylinderapproaches the limit of its travelvtoward the delivery mechanism thestripper fingers project into the longitudinal recess 5 in theimpression cylinder, the stripper fingers passing beneath the sheet 9and then are moved outwardly lifting the sheet from the cylinder. Thesheet thus passes over the stripper fingers to the conveying devices.

Suitable means are provided for giving the necessary movement to thestripper fingers 8, the illustrated form thereof comprising an arm 10attached to the support 11 upon which the stripper fingers are carried.A suitable cam 12 is carried upon the impression cylinder and is soshaped and located that as the impression cylinder approaches the limitof its movement, the cam enga es the arm 10 moving the arm and stripperngers 8 outwardly. This movement occurs in proper relation to theposition of the cylinder and the action of the grippers 4. It will thusbe seen that in the illustrated form, these devices are operated by thetraveling movement of the impression cylinder to perform the functionsdescribed.

' Suitable means are provided in the delivery mechanism for conveyingthe sheets to the receiving table and in the present embodiment saidconveying means comprise a series of continuously driven rollers 13. Theparticular form of driving means for the said rollers shown in thedrawings comprises a sprocket chain 14 which passes over suitablesprocket wheels 15 at the end of each of' the rollers 1?. Suitabledriving means for the sprocket chain 14 are provided, the particularform thereof shown herein being described hereinafter.

Means are also provided., according to certain aspects'of the invention,for causing the sheet to be advanced from the cylinder on to thestripper fingers after they have passed underneath the sheet, theparticular form of such advancing means shown in the present embodimentcomprising rollers 16 which are shown mounted upon arms 17 fast to theshaft 18. Suitable actuating means are provided to cause the rollers 16'to pass into engagement with the impression cylinder so as to cause thesheet to be advanced by the cylinder on to. the stripper fingers and tothe conveying devices. Detachably engaging an arm 19 fixed on shaft 18there is shown a link 20 which is also in operative relation with a cam21, by means of its forked end 22, in which is shown mounted a suitableanti-friction roller. The spring 23 serves to hold the roller 22 .to thecam. For the purpose of detaching the link 20 from the arm 19 aspring-pressed latch 24 is provided.

Means are provided by the invention for positively advancing a sheetfrom the impressipn cylinder to the seriesof rollers 13, and the form ofsaid means illustrated herein comprises a plurality of rollers 25carried on a shaft 26. The said rollers press the sheet into positiveengagement with the first driven roller of the series and the sheet thusreceives a positive advancing movement carrying it certainly and quicklyforward. These rollers 25 are preferably of a resilient material inorder to give a close and positive contact. The said rollers 25 areshown transversely adjustable so as to operate upon sheets of differentwidths or to suit arrangements of the printed matter upon the sheets, orfor other purposes.

The invention further contemplates the providing of means at thedelivery end of' the series of rollers 13 for positively advancing asheet off from the said series of.

rollers on to the table, stack or other receiving means. The form ofsaid means shown in the illustrated embodiment comprises rollers 27mounted upon a shaft 28 and being transversely adjustable thereon.Cooperating with the said rollers so as to take a sheet therebetween isthe positively driven roller- 29. It will thus be understood that thesheet is quickly and reliably fed off.

Means are also provided for retaining the I sheets upon the series ofdriven rollers 13 intermediately of the said means for advancing sheetson to and off from the said series of rollers. The illustrated form ofsuch means comprises a series of guides 30, located above the drivenrollers 13 and separated therefrom to permit the sheets to passtherebetween. These guides are shown mounted upon a rod- 31 andtransversely adjustable thereon. The said guides are also constructed soas to extend outwardly atthe press end, so as to overhang the stripperfingers and also the impression cylinder when near the limit of itstravel and thus insure the passing of the sheet beneath the rollers 25.

For the purpose of elfecting rapid delivery of the successive sheets inproper position onto the sheet stack, means are provided for stiffeningthe sheets as they are fed off from the conveyer rolls so that they willpass straight outwardly and then fall flat upon the stack. The form ofsuch means provided comprises. two blades 32 which engage and bend theside edges of the sheet as it emerges from between the rolls 27 and 29.This bending of the side edges gives the proper stiffening to the sheetto permit of its rapid and successful delivery. The said blades areshown adjustably mounted upon a rod 33, to accommodate sheets ofvariouswidths.

Sheet receivingmeans are provided which swung upwardly away from theimpressionv cylinder. In the drawing a support 35 for the deliverymechanism is shown suitably carried upon the press frame. The saidsupport is pivotally connected 'to the delivery mechanism so that thedelivery mechanism may be moved away from the impression cylinder bybeing swung upwardly as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of thedrawings. In connection with this form of construction, driving meansfor the series of rollers 13 are provided in concentric relation P withthe pivotal support of the delivery mechanism. The driving sprocketwheel 36 for the sprocket chain 14 is shown concentric with the saidpivotal support. A sprocket chain 37 serves also to drive the sprocketwheel 36, and in turn is driven by any suitable source of power. Anynecessity for coupling and uncoupling the drive for the rollers 13 isthus obviated, and it is merely necessary to swing the deliverymechanism down into operative relation with the cylinder or to swing itup away therefrom so as to give fuller and easier access to the cylinderand to the bed.

The manner of the operation of the foregoing mechanism is substantiallyas follows: A sheet is fed to the impression cylinder 1. by suitabledevices (not shown herein) and taken by the grippers 4. The bed 2 thentravels in one direction and the cylinder in theopposite direction, thecylinder in the meantime rolling on the form for the impression in amanner well understood. As the cylinder approaches the limit of its pathof travel, the stripper fingers 8 enter the longitudinal recess in thecylinder and engage the sheet. The cam 12 acting upon the arm isoperated by the traveling movement of the cylinder so as to move thestripper -fingers outwardly, the stripper fingers passing underneath thesheet as it is released by the grippers. At about the same time therollers 16 are moved. downwardly by the actuating mechanism,hereinbefore described, in contact with the outward face hill of thesheet upon the impression cylinder and thus, the sheet is caused to beadvanced.

by the cylinder on to the stripper fingers and to the series of drivenrollers 13. The top guides 30 extending downwardly insure the passing ofthe sheet between the rollers I ing first.

25 and the first of the series of rollers 13. The sheet is then carriedrapidly by the positive movement of the driven rollers to the receivingend and is there positively advanced off from the receiving rollers tothe receiving table the blades 32 at the same time'cooperate 'to bendthe edges'and stifien the sheet as hereinbefore described, so that thesheet is delivered extending flat over the stack. and is prevented fromdoubling or folding over by reason of the front end fall- To move thedelivery mechanism into and out of operative position, the latch 24 isdrawn to disengage the link from the arm 19 and the said mechanism isthen swung-upwardly, as hereinbefore described. It will be understoodthat the parts maybe formed and proportioned so that gravity will causethe delivery to remain stable in the upright position.

From all the foregoingit will be unlcrstood that the various parts anddevices, singly and in their cooperation contribute to effect the rapidand reliable handling of the sheets, and that a machine has beenprovided which realizes the objects of invention and the advantagesherein set forth, together with other objects and advantages.

The invention in its broader aspects, is not limited tothe particularconstructionshown, nor to any particular construction by which it hasbeen or may be carried into effect, as many changes may be made in theconstruction without departing from the main principles of the inventionand without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I desire to claim as myinvention, and to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a relatively stationary delivery mechanism comprislng a serlesof contlnuously driven rollers, a series of stripper fingers fortransferring the sheets from the cylinder to the rollers, and areceivingtable for receiving the sheets directly from the said rollers.

2. A printing press'including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a relatively stationary delivery mechanism comprising a seriesof continuously driven roll- ,ers, a series of stripper fingers fortransferring the sheets from the cylinder tothe rollers and means at thepress end of said series of rollers for positively advancing a rollers,means at the delivery endof said series of rollers for ositivel advancina sec isa

sheet from the impression cylinder to the 35:20

sheet off from the said series of rollers on to a receiving means, andmeans for receiving the sheets.

4. A printing press including incombination a traveling impressioncylinder, a delivery mechanism comprising a series of continuouslydriven rollers, a series ofstripper fingers for-transferring the sheetsfrom the cylinder to the rollers, means at the press end of said seriesof rollers for positively advancing a sheet from the impression cylinderto the said series of rollers, and means at the delivery end of saidseries of rollers for positively advancing a sheet oil from said seriesof rollers on to a receiving means, and means for receiving the sheets.

5. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a delivery mechanism comprising a series of continuouslydriven rollers, a series of stripper fin ers for transferring the sheetsfrom the cylinder to the rollers, means at the press end of said seriesof rollers for positively advancing a sheet from the impression cylinderto the said series of rollers, means at the delivery end of said seriesof rollers for positively advancing a sheet off from said series ofrollers on to a receiving means, means for retaining the sheets upon theseries of rollers intermediately thesaid two advancing means, and meansfor receiving the sheets.

6. A printing .press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a delivery mechanism comprising a series of continuouslydriven rollers, a series of stripper fingers for transferring the sheetsfrom the cylinder to the rollers, a plurality of trans-' verselyadjustable rollers for positively advancing the sheets on to the, saidseries of rollers, and a receiving table for receiving the sheetsdirectly from the said series of rollers.

7. A" printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a delivery mechanism comprising a series of continuouslydriven rollers, a series of stripper fingers for transferring the sheetsfrom the cylinder to the rollers, a plurality of transversely adjustablerollers cooperating with one of the rollers of said series to advancethe sheets oif from the said series of rollers onto a receiving means,and means for re ceiving the sheets.

8. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a delivery mechanism comprising a series of continuouslydriven rollers, the first and last rollers of said series beingcontinuous longitudinally, a plurality of transversely adjustable'rollers cooperating with the said first roller, a plurality oftransversely adjustable rollers cooperating with the said last roller,and means for transferring the sheets from the impression cylinder tothe delivery mechanism.

9. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a dellvery mechanism comprising a series of continuouslydriven rollers, a series of stripper comprising a series of continuouslydriven rollers, a series of stripper fingers for transferring the sheetsfrom the cylinder to the rollers, and top guide fingers above the saidrollers and extending to a point above the impression cylinder when thesheet is released therefrom.

11. A printing press including in combination a travellng impressioncylinder, a relatively stationary delivery mechanism located at one endof the travel of said cylinder, said delivery mechanism comprisingstripper fingers, conveying devices for receiving the sheets from thestripper fingers,

top guide fingers above said conveylng devices and extendin to a pointabove said stripper fingers an also above the impression cylinder whenthe sheet is released therefrom.

12. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a relatively stationary delivery mechanism, said mechanismcomprising a series of continuously driven rollers, a series of stripperfingers for transferring the sheets from the cylinder to the rollers, aroller above the first roller of the said series to receive the sheettherebetween, and top guide fingers above said series of rollers andextending past said upper roller and above the stripper fingers.

13. A printing press including in combination a traveling cylinder,anoppositely reciprocating bed, a normally stationary sheet deliverymechanism arranged to cooperate with the impression cylinder near oneend of its travel, a support for said delivery mechanism, theconstruction being such that the delivery mechanism may be moved out ofoperative relation so as to expose both the cylinder andthe bed,stripper fingers mounted on the receiving end of the delivery mechanism,and means for receiving the sheet from the delivery mechanism.

14:. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a normally stationary sheet delivery mechanism arranged tocooperate with the impression cyllnder near one end of its travel,stripper fingers mounted on the press end of the said deliverymechanism, and a support iii for said delivery mechanism, theconstruction being such thatthe delivery mechanism may be moved, awayfrom the impression cylinder.

15. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a normally stationary sheet delivery mechanism arranged tocooperate with the impression cylinder near one end of its travel,stripper fingers mounted on the receiving end of the said deliverymechanism, and a pivotal support for the said delivery mechanism so thatit may be swung upwardly away from the impression cylinder.

16. A printing press including'in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a normally stationary sheet delivery mechanism arranged tocooperate with the impression cylinder near one end of its travel, saiddelivery mechanism comprising a series of positively driven rollers,stripper fingers mounted on the receiving end of the said deliverymechanism, and a support for said delivery mechanism, the constructionbeing such that the delivery mechanism may be moved away from theimpression cylinder.

17. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a normally stationary sheet delivery mechanism arranged tocooperate with the impression cylinder near one end of its travel, saiddelivery mechanism comprising a series of positively driven rollers,stripper fingers mounted on the receiving end of the said deliverymechanism, a pivotal support for the said delivery mechanism so that itmay be swung upwardly from the said cylinder, and driving means for saidseries of rollers in concentric relation with said pivotal support.

18. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, a normally stationary sheet delivery mechanism arranged tocooperate with the impression cylinder near one end of its travel, asupport for said delivery mechanism, the construction being such thatthe delivery mechanism may be moved out of operative relation with theimpression cylinder, stripper fingers mounted on thereceiving end of thedelivery mechanism, and a roller mounted at the receiving end of saiddelivery mechanism for causing the sheet to be ad vanced by the cylinderon to the stripping fingers.

19. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder having a longitudinal recess, grippers mounted in said recess,relatively stationary stripping fingers constructed and arranged toproject into said recess in said cylinder as the latter approaches thelimit of its travel in one direction, means for movin said strippingfingers outwardly to lift the sheet as the same is released by thegrippers, a roller for causing the sheet to be advanced by the cylinderon to the stripping fingers, and means for receiving the stripped sheet.

20. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder, relatively stationary stripping fingers, devices operated bythe traveling movement of the said cylinder for moving said fingersrelatively to the cylinder to strip the sheet therefrom prior to the endof the traveling movement, and means for receiving the sheet from thestripping means. i

21. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder having a longitudinal recess, grippers mounted in said recess,relatively stationary stripping fingers constructed and arranged toproject into said recess, and means operated by the travel of thecylinder for moving the stripping fingers outwardly to lift the sheet asit is released by the grippers prior to the end of thetravelingmovement.

22. A printing press including in combi nation a traveling impressioncylinder, a delivery mechanism comprising a series of constantly drivenrollers, a plurality of transversely adjustable rollers, above the firstroller of said series, a plurality of transversely adjustable rollersabove the last roller of said series, a series of stripper fingers fortransferring the sheets from the cylinder to the rollers, a series oftop guide fingers above said series of constantly driven rollers andextending between and past the first-mentioned plurality of adjustablerollers, and also extending above the stripper fingers and theimpression cyl' inder when the sheet is released therefrom.

23. A printing press including in combination a traveling impressioncylinder hav ing a longitudinal recess therein, a series of grippersmounted in said recess, a series of stripper fingers mountedindependently of the impression cylinder, means operated by the travelof the cylinder for moving the stripping fingers outwardly to lift thesheet as it is released by the grippers, a series of continuously drivenrollers beyond the stripping fingers, a plurality of trans verselyadjustable rollers above the first rollers of the said series, a seriesof top guide fingers above said series of constantly driven rollers, andextending between and past said transversely adjustable rollers and alsoextending above the stripper fingers and the impression cylinder whenthe sheet is released therefrom.

24.. A printing press includingin combination, a traveling impressioncylinder, a relatively stationary sheet delivery mechanism arranged tocooperate with the impression cylinder near one end of its travel, meansmounted on the ccl very mechanism for stripping the sheets from theimpression cylinder as the latter approaches the limits of its traveltoward the delivery mechanism and a support for the delivery mechanismsuch that the delivery mechanism may be moved away from the impressioncylinder.

25.-A printing press including in combination, a traveling impressioncylinder, a relatively stationary sheet deliverymechanism arranged tocooperate with the impression cylinder when near one end of its travel,means mounted upon the delivery mechanism and rendered operative by thel traveling movement of the impression cylinder for stripping the sheetsfrom the impression cylinder, and means for supporting the deliverymechanism whereby the latter may be moved away from the impressioncylinder to expose the latter for making ready purposes.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this s' ecification, inthe presence of two subscribmg witnesses.

RUFUS A. FREEMAN. Witnesses:

WM. J. DoLAN, JOHN CONAHEY.

